The Indian program is stable and well managed by the Central Authority for Adoption in India. It has a long history of placing children with loving families, and regularly updates the rules and procedures to improve the program. Every effort is made to place children with parents of Indian heritage-first, followed by foreign adoptive parents.
Adoption in India is governed by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), which works closely with local Indian state governments. The state governments regulate and monitor the orphanages approved for international adoption and adoption service providers licensed in their region.
Parent Requirements
Residency
India requires Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) to apply for adoption through their current country of residence.
IAN is able to assist U.S. residents with an adoption from India.
PAPs residing outside the U.S. must contact the Central Adoption Authority in their current country of residence for assistance.
Citizenship
The U.S. Department of State requires adoptive parents to be U.S. citizens in order to immigrate a child to the United States through the intercounty adoption process.
For married PAPs, only one parent must be a U.S. citizen.
Single adoptive parents must be U.S. citizens.
Non-U.S. citizens can refer to the U.S. Department of State.
Age Requirements
The composite age of the PAPs is determined on the date of registration with CARA. The minimum age difference between the child and either of the prospective adoptive parents should not be less than 25 years.
Age of the Child
Maximum Composite Age of Married PAPs
Maximum age of Single PAPs
Up to 2 years
85 years
40 years
Above 2 and up to 4 years
90 years
45 years
Above 4 and up to 8 years
100 years
50 years
Above 8 and up to 18 years
110 years
55 years
Marital Status
Both single parents and married couples may adopt.
A married couple must be married for a minimum of two years to be found eligible to adopt.
A single man can only adopt a male child.
India does not accept common-law marriages or live-in partners.
Income
Families must meet income requirements as outlined by USCIS. The homestudy of the family must demonstrate the financial stability of the family.
Health
Adoptive parents should have good health and should not be suffering from any mental or physical condition which may prevent them from taking care of the child or any condition that may not allow for a normal life expectancy.
Other
Adoptive parents of Indian heritage can apply for the adoption of a child who is considered "healthy", but children who are considered healthy may still have minor needs, such as low birth weight, malnourishment, developmental delays, anemia, past medical issues, etc. The wait time for children considered healthy is usually long. Contact IAN for information on wait times.
Foreign families and families with 2 or more children are required to adopt a child with special needs. Adult children or children living outside of the home are included in your total for consideration.
Adoptive parents cannot have been convicted of a crime.
Children In Need
Children become available for adoption in India for many reasons. Sometimes it is due to extreme economic hardship on the part of the birth parents, the social stigma of being a single parent in India, the special need of the child, and many more. Children are from a wide range of India’s diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
Age
Children in need of families range from 1-15 years old.
Gender
While gender preference can be indicated by Adoptive Parents, parents are strongly encouraged to be open to a child of either gender.
Health
The majoity of children available for adoption from India are considered to have special needs. These needs may be medical, physical, and/or developmental. They vary from minor/correctable to more severe.
Adoption Process and Timeline
Timeframes will vary per adoption. The average can be from 18-24 months from starting your adoption journey to when you complete your adoption and bring your child home.
1
Choose an Adoption Agency
Choose an accredited Adoption Service Provider (ASP) who is licensed as an Accredited Foreign Adoption Agency (AFAA) in India. IAN is licensed as both.
2
Apply to be found eligible to adopt
First complete an approved home study. You will have to hire an external agency if you do not reside in Colorado. IAN will be able to provide you recommendations. If you reside in Colorado, IAN will be your home study agency as well. (2-3 months)
After home study approval, apply for U.S. Immigration approval. (3-4 months)
Register through CARA and receive an approval. (2-4 months)
3
Accept Child Referral
PAPs will receive one child referral at a time. India allows PAPs up to 30 days to consider a potential referral and decide whether to accept. The referral must be accepted within the given time period.
4
Obtain Necessary Approvals to Immigrate the Child into the U.S.
USCIS Approval
Article 5
No Objection Certificate from CARA
Indian District Magistrate Approval
Article 23
Child's Birth Certificate
Child's Passport
5
Get Ready to Travel
Take custody of the child in their resident state
Go through a medical appointment in Delhi
Go through a Visa appointment at U.S. Embassy in Delhi
6
Bring the child home to the U.S.
After you receive a Visa in the child's name, you will be able to bring the child home.
7
Post Adoption Visits and Reports
There is a requirement from India to submit Post Adoption reports at regular intervals. Visit "Post Adoption" to learn more.
Travel Requirements
Prospective adoptive parents are required to travel to India to take custody of the adopted child. At least one trip of 10-14 days is required, although some regions may require two trips.
Cost Estimates
It can vary from $35,000 to $45,000. Not all the costs will necessarily apply and all fees can change at any time. To receive IAN's India fee agreement and schedule, click on "Contact a Coordinator" and fill out the contact form.
Ready to start or have questions? Our coordinators are here to help!
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